White Hat SEO

An expression used in the field of Search Engine Optimization to describe ethical practices that conform to search engine guidelines to improve a website’s ranking, and that in principle and focus on creating quality content for users, rather than trying to fool search engines.

The term “White Hat” comes from the slang of Western movies, where the good guys used to wear white hats, and is in direct contrast to manipulative techniques, which are instead referred to as Black Hat SEO (because the bad guys in Westerns wore precisely dark hats).

The spread of this expression occurred in parallel with the evolution of search engine algorithms, particularly Google, which began penalizing manipulative attempts in the 2000s.

White Hat SEO tactics include creating high-quality content, optimizing for search engines based on in-depth keyword research, creating a positive user experience, using descriptive meta tags, building a clear website structure, and acquiring backlinks from authoritative sites through legitimate methods. The goal is to provide value to users, improve organic visibility, and build a solid and lasting reputation for the website.